Multi-can package and connector for cans



Aug. 3, 1965 R. L. BRUNSING MULTI-CAN PACKAGE AND CONNECTOR FOR CANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 4, 1960 IIIH IHI

G MN .EU R ma 6%, ATTORNEYS 3, 1965 R. L. BRUNSING 3,198,326

MULTI-OAN PACKAGE AND CONNECTOR FOR CANS Filed Aug. 4. l960 2 Sheets-Sheet :2

INVENTOR. REX L. BRUNS/NG ATTORNEYS A United States Patent snasnze MtULTi-CAN Mormon AND corassoron rot-r CANS This invention relates to a multiple can package, and

to a can connector for forming a package from a plurality i of cans.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a can package of which the cans are adapted to be more securely held together than heretofore.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a can carrier that is adapted to connect the upper ends of upright cylindrical cans and that provides a carrying means adapted to be comfortably and securely engaged by two fingers of a hand carrying said cans.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a can connector that is adapted to securely hold one of the corresponding ends of a plurality of cans securely together, but which cans may be readily separated therefrom, and which connector includes spring means that is adapted to be sprun into can holding position in which position said spring means functions to securely hold said cans together when said spring means is sprung into said position.

In explanation of the above, the present invention provides a connector having a pair of spring tongues, on the order of leaf springs, that have free ends adapted to be sprung into engagement with the radially inwardly facing surfaces of the adjacent portions of the chimes on the cans of each adjacent pair that go into forming the package. These springs when so sprung against said chimes will positively hold the cans of each pair tightly against a rib that is between the cans just below the portions of the chimes engaged by the springs. These springs are adapted to be sprung in one direction, transversely of their axes that extend perpendicular to their lines of fiexure, or the lines about which they are sprung, so as to spring into a position with their free ends against the radially inwardly facing surfaces of the chimes, but when an attempt is made to swing the lower unconnected ends of the cans of each pair directly away from each other {assuming the cans are vertical and the connector is at their upper ends) the springs will not yield but wiil positively hold the cans together. Nor can the cans be moved axially away from the connector. This leaves only one movement for separating the cans from the connector, and that is to swing the lower ends of the cans transversely of a vertical plane in which the pairs of cans at opposite sides of the said rib are positioned. Such movement is one that would normally be effected purposely by manual manipulation.

Heretofore it has been the practice to connect cans with connectors by either tilting the cans of each adjacent pair relative to each other, as in United States patent to Holmberg No. 2,646,91l,dated July 28, 1953, or to crimp a holder to the chimes of the cans, as in United States patent to Ruth No. 2,806,273, dated September 17, 1957.

In my copending application Serial No. 8,018, filed February 11, 1960, now Patent No. 3,022,888, connectors are provided that operate in substantially the same manner as the present connectors, except that the present structure more securely holds the cans against swinging and against separation from each other and the connector, while permitting intentional separation by easy manual manipulation of a type that would not occur accidentally. i

331%,326 Patented Aug. 3, 1.965

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a multi-can package with the can connector in position on the upper ends of the cans.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation view of the package of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the connector of FIG. 1, separate from the cans.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the connector of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross section View as seen along line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along line tfi-6 of FIG. 3, the dot-dash lines indicating the upper end portions of a pair of adjacent chimes on a pair of cans.

F316. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view looking down on a can showing the position of the chime engaging edge of one of the spring tongues on the can connector.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a connector adapted to hold a single pair of cans.

Referring to FIG. 1, the numeral 1 generally indicates cylindrical cans of the same size arranged in a pair of rows of cans each having heads 2 at their upper ends, and chimes 3 projecting radially and axially outwardly of said chimes around said heads. These cans may also have similar chimes around heads at the other ends. of the cans, although insofar as this invention is concerned, the cans may be of the type drawn from a metal sheet with chimes 3 at one of the ends only of the cans. Such drawn cans are shown in my said copending application Serial Extending longitudinally of the two rows of cans and across their upper ends at the adjacent sides of the rows of cans, is a connector generally designated 5.

This connector is a strip formed of plastic material, and is resilient, but relatively rigid.

Where what is known as a 6-pack package of cans is to be made, the strip 5 is formed with three pairs of openings 6 with a central rib '7 extending longitudinally of the strip defining one of the sides of each pair of openings, which side will be called the inner side, since the outer side 3 i of each opening is a longitudinal marginal portion of each opening.

The marginal portions 8 of the strip are relatively thin and are coplanar and are adapted to be fiat against the axially outwardly (upwardly) facing surfaces of the portions of chimes 3 that are at the adjacent sides of the adjacent pairs of cans of said rows.

The said marginal portions 8 are connected at their opposite outermost end by end members 9 and the pairs of openings 6 at the opposite sides of rib 7 are connected by cross members 10 (FIG. 3).

The upper surfaces of the end members 9 and cross member Ml are coplanar with the upper surfaces of the marginal portions 8, but the rib 7, which is integral with said members 9 and iii, depends below said members and is relatively thick, with the result that the connector is quite rigid and is reinforced by said rib.

This rib portion widens out considerably below the cross member portions 16 and enlarged portions are of circular outline and are formed with finger openings 13 through which the thumb and forefinger of a hand may be inserted to carry cans connected with the connector.

The rib at the end portions 9 widen out also.

The portions 14 of the rib 7 that extends between the cans are spaced a substantial distance below the plane of marginal portions 8, which distance is substantially equal to the vertical thickness of chimes 3 on the cans. The ends of the portions of the rib that are so spaced,

are integral with cross portions 1t) and end portions 9 of the connector strip.

These portions 14 of ribs 7 have their opposite sides concavely curved to substantially follow the cylindrical outer surfaces of cans 1 just below chimes 3, and shoulders 15 are at the ends of said curved portions, which ends are preferably spaced within the projected confines of the outlines of the ends of said openings 6 that are adjacent to, but spaced from, the annular rib portions forming the sides of the finger openings 13.

The marginal portions 3 have spring tongues 16 integrally connected therewith along straight lines of fiexure 1'7. These tongues are elongated longitudinally of the connector strip and extend slantingly toward each other from the opposite marginal portions 8 toward the portions 14 of ribs 7, and they terminate at their inner free end edges 18 close to said portions 14.

The side edges 19 of each of the tongues 16 preferably extend convergently from the marginal portion 8 with which it is integral, to the ends of the free inner end edges 17, and said free inner end edges are convexly curved linearly thereof to substantially follow the radially inwardly facing surfaces of the chimes 3 along their junctures with the heads of the cans (FIGS. 6, 7).

These tongues 16 are bowed at 20 along their free edges and to the central portions of the tongues at the lines of flexure 17 so that the said free edges (FIG. 6) will lie in a horizontal plane that is parallel with the plane in which the connector strip including marginal portions 8 are disposed. By this structure the tongues will fiex along lines of fiexure 1'7, but their outer free edges 18 will, from end to end thereof, be along the junctures between the heads of the cans and the chimes 3. This is quite important since such structure provides a more positive and stronger connection between the connector and the cans, and the frictional resistance between the tongues and cans is such that the cans will be frictionally held against accidental rotation relative to each other.

As seen in FIG. 6 the outer free edges of the tongues 16 are opposite to the portions 14 of the ribs when under slight tension will securely hold the cans against play relative to the connector strip. Any attempt to swing the lower ends of the cans apart immediately meets positive resistance from the portions 14 and the spring tongues. The cans cannot move either up or down, since upward movement is resisted by the portions of the connector that extend over the cans while downward movement of the cans relative to the connector strip is resisted by portions 14. However, by manually rolling each can slightly and swinging it longitudinally of the strip at the same time, the cans may be easily and quickly separated from the connector.

It should be noted, however, that the contact between the tongue and the can heads at the chimes will also tend to prevent the cans from swinging in planes extending longitudinally of the connector. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 7, the connector extends across the adjacent portions of the cans at points spaced from the closest parts of the cans, and the ends of the tongues 20 (FIG. 4) or 23 (FIG. 8) engage the heads and chimes at the ends of the curved outer edges of the tongues, or at spaced points adjacent to the points where the connectors engage the axially outwardly facing surfaces of the chimes. The ends of the curved sides of the ribs 14 and 24 also engage the axially inwardly facing surfaces of the chimes at points adjacent to the points where the ends of the curved edges of the tongues engage the heads and chimes. Thus, the tongues, connectors and ribs all coact to resist swinging of the cans about an axis perpendicular to the axes of the cans and extending between the said spaced points on each of the cans.

The package of FIGS. 1, 2, and the connectors of FIGS. 3 to 7 respectively show a package of six cans and a connector to be used in forming the package.

It is believed to be obvious that by the use of the same d structure a package of cans from one pair up, in multiples of two, may be provided.

FIG. 8 shows a top plan view of a connector for only one pair of cans, and which connector is identical with that of FIGS. 3, 4, except that the ends of the strip are identical with the ends 9 of connector 5, but the finger openings 13 are omitted and only one rib portion 14 is used with only one pair of openings 6 and one pair of tongues.

Thus, referring again to FIG. 8, the end portions 21 at the ends of the marginal portions 22 and tongues 23 with the rib portion 24 between them are identical with end portions 9; marginal portions 8; tongue 16 and rib portions 14. Such a connector will hold one pair of cans in exactly the same manner as the adjacent pairs at opposite sides of ribs 14 are held by connector 5.

With the present structure the can packages will readily stack one on the other without tilting of the upper packages, and preferably the cans are slightly spaced at their chimes, but are substantially together. This slight spacing insures satisfactory use of the connectors with all makes of cans where there may be some slight variations between the cans of different makers. Usually the lower chimes will come together, or substantially so.

The desirability of so tightly holding the cans against rotation insures against the cans moving relative to each other after they have been oriented for facing in the most desirable directions.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it is obvious that some of the structural details may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A connector for holding one of the corresponding ends of a pair of cylindrical cans together in a position in close side by side relation and which ends have heads closing said ends and annular chimes projecting radially and axially outwardly of said cans around said heads, said connector comprising: a member adapted to extend across the axially outwardly facing surfaces of the adjacent portions of said chimes that face away from said pair of cans axially thereof when said pair of cans are in said position, a rib integral with said member rigid relative thereto adapted to be positioned between and in engagement with the adjacent sides of said pair of cans and in engagement with the axially inwardly facing surfaces of said chimes that are on the sides of said chimes opposite to said outwardly facing surfaces, and spring means integral with said member adapted to be sprung past said axially outwardly facing surfaces of said chimes and toward said heads and into engagement with the radially inwardly facing surfaces of the chimes on such pair of cans and said head at different points around said chimes when said cans are in said position with said member extending across said portions and with said rib between said pair of cans in engagement with the adjacent sides thereof and with said axially inwardly facing surfaces of said chimes, said spring means being tongues connected with said member along straight lines of flexure spaced from said rib at opposite sides thereof, each of said tongues being similarly inclined to one side of said member from said lines toward said rib, and the portion of each of said tongues adapted to engage said radially inwardly facing surfaces on said chimes and said tongue being relatively wide in a direction circumferentially of said chimes and said last mentioned portion being bowed generally in said direction with the concave side of said portion adapted to face said head to enable said last mentioned portion to simultaneously engage said chimes and said head on each can of said pair along their juncture at said different points.

2 A connector for holding one of the corresponding ends of a pair of cylindrical cans together in a position in close side by side relation and which ends have heads closing said ends and annular chimes projecting radially and axially outwardly of said cans around said heads, said connector comprising: a relatively rigid member adapted to extend across the axially outwardly facing surfaces of the adjacent portions of said chimes that face away from said pair of cans axially thereof when said pair of cans are in said position, a rib integral with said member rigid relative thereto adapted to be positioned between and in engagement with the adjacent sides of said pair of cans and in engagement with the axially inwardly facing surfaces of said chimes that are on the sides of said chimes opposite to said outwardly facing surfaces, and spring means integral with said member adapted to be sprung past said axially outwardly facing surfaces of said chimes and toward said heads and into engagement with the radially inwardly facing surfaces of the chimes on such pair of cans and said head at different points around said chimes when said cans are in said position with said member extending across said portions and with said rib between said pair of cans in engagement with the adjacent sides thereof and with said axially inwardly facing surfaces of said chimes, said spring means being tongues connected with said member along straight lines of fiexure spaced from said rib at opposite sides thereof and terminating in curved edges closely adjacent to said rib, each of said tongues being similarly inclined to one side of said member from said lines toward said rib, said curved edges of said tongues conforming to the curvature of radially inwardly facing surfaces of said chimes and said tongues being bowed along said curved edges longitudinally of the latter with the concave sides adapted to face said head when said member is on such pair of cans to provide for contact between said chimes and said head along the full lengths of said curved edges.

3. A can connecting device adapted to be releasably connected with the annular chimes encircling and projecting radially and axially outwardly of the can heads at one of the corresponding ends of a pair of cylindrical cans disposed in side by side relation for securing the cans of said pair thereof together at said one. of their ends, comprising:

(a) a member of resilient, relatively rigid material having similarly extending opposite marginal portions spaced apart, each portion being adapted to extend transversely over and in engagement with one of the axially facing surfaces of the chimes of one of the chimes on said cans at relatively widely spaced points thereon,

(b) said marginal portions each including an intermediate portion adapted to extend over the head of each can between said points on said chimes and spaced from said chimes,

(c) means integral with said member spaced between said marginal portions having surfaces thereon adapted to engage the opposite axially facing surfaces of said chimes that are opposite to said one of their axially facing surfaces and to also engage the adjacent cylindrical surfaces of said pair of cans when said marginal portions are in said engagement with said one of said axially facing surfaces,

(d) a pair of spring tongues integral with said intermediate portions of said marginal portions extending toward each other slantingly downwardly from said intermediate portion,

(e) said tongues terminating in free end edges adapted to face and to substantially engage the radially in wardly facing annular surfaces of each of the chimes on such pair of cans at relatively widely spaced points in a direction circumferentially of said chimes,

(f) said chimes each having free side edges extending from the ends of the free end edge of each tongue to said intermediate portion, and

(g) a portion of each tongue between said side edges being bowed in a direction from one of said side edges to the other to provide a concave surface adapted to face the can head adjacent thereto and to position the portion of each tongue at the ends of its free end edge for engaging such head at said relatively widely spaced points.

4. In combination with a pair of cylindrical cans in upright, side by side relation having heads closing their ends and radially and axially outwardly projecting annular chimes around the heads at one of their corresponding ends, said chimes having axially facing outer surfaces facing away from said cans and axially inwardly facing surfaces facing oppositely from said axially outwardly facing surfaces;

(a) a relatively rigid connector extending across and in engagement with'said axially outwardly facing surfaces on the portions of the chimes that are adjacent to each other,

(b) rigid means rigid with said connector in engagement with the axially inwardly facing surfaces of said portions of said chimes and with the radially outwardly facing cylindrical sides of said cans adjacent to said portions of said chimes,

(0) spring tongues integral with said connector along lines spaced from said rigid means at opposite sides thereof and extending slantingly downwardly toward each other from said lines substantially into engagement with the radially inwardly facing sides of said portions of said chimes,

(d) head engaging means on each of said tongues in engagement with each of said heads at relatively widely spaced points adjacent to said chimes and in a direction circumferentially thereof, whereby said connector will hold said cans together at said one of their ends and said tongues including said head engaging means will cooperate with said rigid means to yieldably resist rocking of said cans relative to said connector in a direction transversely of a vertical plane in which the axes of said pair of cans are disposed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,646,911 7/53 Holrnberg 206 2,792,146 5/57 Zastrow 20665 2,815,855 12/57 Fisher 20665 2,949,183 8/60 Fisher 20665 3,022,888 2/62 Brunsing 20665 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. EARLE I. DRUMMOND, Examiner. 

1. A CONNECTOR FOR HOLDING ONE OF THE CORRESPONDING ENDS OF A PAIR OF CYLINDRICAL CANS TOGETHER IN A POSITION IN CLOSE SIDE BY SIDE RELATION AND WHICH ENDS HAVE HEADS CLOSING SAID ENDS AND ANNULAR CHIMES PROJECTING RADIALLY AND AXIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID CANS AROUND SAID HEADS, SAID CONNECTOR COMPRISING: A MEMBER ADAPTED TO EXTEND ACROSS THE AXIALLY OUTWARDLY FACING SURFACES OF THE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SAID CHIMES THAT FACE AWAY FROM SAID PAIR OF CANS AXIALLY THEREOF WHEN SAID PAIR OF CANS ARE IN SAID POSITION, A RIB INTEGRAL WITH SAID MEMBER AND IN RELATIVE THERETO ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED BETWEEN AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ADJACENT SIDES OF SAID PAIR OF CANS AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE AXIALLY INWARDLY FACING SURFACES OF SAID CHIMES THAT ARE ON THE SIDES OF SAID CHIMES OPPOSITE TO SAID OUTWARDLY FACING SURFACES, AND SPRING MEANS INTEGRAL WITH SAID MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE SPRUNG PAST SAID AXIALLY OUTWARDLY FACING SURFACES OF SAID CHIMES AND TOWARD SAID HEADS AND INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RADIALLY INWARDLY FACING SURFACES OF THE CHIMES ON SUCH PAIR OF CANS AND SAID HEAD AT DIFFERENT POINTS AROUND SAID CHIMES WHEN SAID CANS ARE IN SAID POSTIONS WITH SAID MEMBER EXTENDING ACROSS SAID PORTIONS AND WITH SAID RIB BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF CANS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ADJACENT SIDES THEREOF AND WITH SAID AXIALLY INWARDLY FACING SURFACES OF SAID CHIMES, SAID SPRING MEANS BEING TONGUES CONNECTED WITH SAID MEMBER ALONG STRAIGHT LINES OF FLEXURE SPACED FROM SAID RIB AT OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, EACH OF SAID TONGUES BEING SIMILARLY INCLINED TO ONE SIDE OF SAID MEMBER FROM SAID LINES TOWARD SAID RIB, AND THE PORTION OF EACH OF SAID TONGUES ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID RADIALLY INWARDLY FACING SURFACES ON SAID CHIMES AND SAID TONGUE BEING RELATIVELY WIDE IN A DIRECTION CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF SAID CHIMES AND SAID LAST MENTIONED PORTION BEING BOWED GENERALLY IN SAID DIRECTION WITH THE CONCAVE SIDE OF SAID PORTION ADAPTED TO FACE SAID HEAD TO ENABLE SAID LAST MENTIONED PORTION TO SIMULTANTEOUSLY ENGAGE SAID CHIMES AND SAID HEAD ON EACH CAN OF SAID PAIR ALONG THEIR JUNCTURE AT SAID DIFFERENT POINTS. 